Jakarta-Puncak

Now however much B may have hated Vietnam, it can in no way compare to my feelings for Jakarta.  We have been to Jakarta together many times in the past as B's family all still live there, making a visit a necessary evil.  But then again this is why we bought our house in Puncak, as it is far enough away from Jakarta to have fresh cool breathable air, whilst still being close enough to visit family.  Our first 3 nights in Indonesia however were spent in Jakarta.

We stayed with B's sister, who has a house in Angke, the region of Jakarta that they were born and raised in.  It is certainly a culture shock staying in a local's house after the hotel lifestyle we had grown accustomed to.  For a start, only the bedroom was air conditioned, the rest of the house being unbearably hot and stuffy.  Then there is the lack of a hot shower, having to make do with a cold mandi in the morning is just not the same, not that you ever feel clean in Jakarta for long anyway.

Our time in Jakarta was mainly spent doing practical things, shopping for new curtains and kitchenwear for our house in Puncak, getting haircuts and a family trip out to B's mothers cemetry.

We were however in Jakarta to celebrate new years.  Unfortunatly I was not feeling well at this point, the air in Jakarta does not agree with me.  Despite my own uselessness, B cooked a BBQ on the roof of the house, and B's brothers turned up to celebrate with us.  The regulations on fireworks must be much laxer in Indonesia than they are in the UK, for almost every house seemed to have its own private display and fireworks started long before it even got dark and carried on well past midnight.  I went to bed soon after midnight, but B and his family all went to enjoy the fireworks on the roof.

Perhaps the most important event of our visit, was being introduced to our latest nephew, less than one month old.

B's brother drove us to Puncak late on the 1st of January to avoid the traffic. We made good time and were in Puncak after 2 hours, with a stop for sate kambing on the way.

Adam